Quick Takes: Tech Spending Up 35%, Olympic Appeal to Harvard, Drury Turns to Endowment for Shortfalls, Students Want Oxford's Last Women's College to Admit Men

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Technology spending by colleges and universities is expected to increase by 35 percent, to $6.9 billion, in 2006, according to a report by Market Data Retrieval. The report found increases in all sectors of higher education. Hardware purchases represent about half of all spending.

Bob Costas slammed Harvard University during the NBC broadcast of the closing of the Olympic games for rejecting Joey Cheek, whose decision to donate medal bonus money to charity inspired numerous donations from others. Costas appealed by name to Harvard's admissions dean, William R. Fitzsimmons, to reconsider. A spokesman for the university said that the admissions office has a strict policy of never commenting on an individual applicant. The spokesman added that -- speaking of admissions generally -- the university seeks to recognize "all forms of excellence outside of the classroom, whether it be athletic, artistic, public service or whatever," but that the "fundamental consideration remains applicants' academic records."

Drury University, in Missouri, is using up to $7 million in endowment funds to pay for cost overruns and other budget shortfalls, The News-Leader reported.

Students at St. Hilda's College -- the last women's college at the University of Oxford -- have voted to urge the institution to admit men, The Guardian reported. It is unclear whether the governing board will go along with the idea.